LAST UPDATED ON 17 April 2025

Welcome to Democracy’s Firewall Hackathon! 

The Council of Europe is proud to host the Democracy’s Firewall Hackathon, a unique opportunity for participants to challenge traditional approaches and pioneer new ways to defend democracy and the rule of law. By tackling the challenges of online disinformation and manipulations that our institutions and societies are not yet fully equipped to face, this event calls for bold, innovative solutions.

This hackathon plays a key role in advancing the New Democratic Pact, launched by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe as a follow-up to the Reykjavik Declaration. With a strong focus on the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy, the Pact aims to revitalise democratic systems and safeguard a peaceful, free Europe. In the face of rising disinformation, political polarisation, declining trust, and growing inequality, the need to renew and strengthen democracy has never been more urgent.

OVERVIEW
HACKATHON NAME: Democracy’s Firewall. Outsmart Disinformation, Protect Free Speech. (“Hackathon“)

THE HACKATHON’s OBJECTIVE

The objective of the Democracy’s Firewall Hackathon is to develop innovative, scalable solutions that defend democratic values, especially freedom of expression, while effectively countering disinformation in the digital age.

More specifically, the hackathon aims to:

1. Strengthen democratic resilience against both long-standing and emerging threats.
2. Promote innovation in how we uphold and renew democracy, moving beyond traditional approaches.
3. Balance freedom of expression with the fight against disinformation, in full alignment with the European Convention on Human Rights.
4. Generate concrete ideas that can inform or be integrated into the implementation of the New Democratic Pact and the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy.
5. Foster cross-sector collaboration between youth, civil society, tech developers, policymakers, academics, and creatives.
6. Engage the wider public in a meaningful conversation about the future of democracy, using both online and offline platforms.

It’s not just about tech, it’s about creating policy, educational, social, and participatory innovations that make democracy stronger, more inclusive, and better equipped for today’s information environment.

HOST & FACILITATOR

The host (“Host”) of the event is the Council of Europe.

The Facilitator (“Facilitator”) of the event is Kreativdistrikt S.r.l. ​(hereafter also “KDKT”), ​Registered office: Via F. Petrarca 22, 20123 Milano, VAT code and Fiscal Code IT09829520965.

The Facilitator and the Host are collectively referred to as “Hackathon Organisers”.

CONTACT
info@kreativdistrikt.com 

DATES AND TIMING

APPLICATION PHASE: Until 28 May 2025

To be considered for the hackathon, participants must submit a Concept Summary (3 pages maximum) outlining their proposed solution, along with registering their teammates. The summary should include:

• A brief description of your solution and how it addresses the challenge.
• Key features of your solution (e.g., data extraction, case comparison, user interface);
• Teams may consist of up to 5 participants, all registered in a member state of the Council of Europe.

The selection criteria for choosing the 10 teams which will compete are: Novelty and pertinence of the concept; multidisciplinary nature of the teams; and previous experience and achievements of the team members. Teams are strongly encouraged to aim for diversity in terms of gender.

Selected teams will be notified by KDKT no later than 5 June 2025. Please note that the Host, as the event’s official timekeeper, reserves the right to extend the selection timeline if necessary.

For the selected participants (“Participants”), the Council of Europe will cover travel, accommodation, and meals during the the evening of the 20 June. These costs are fully covered, with no payment required from the participants. However, any expenses beyond this scope will not be covered by the Host. Travel intends from airport or train station to Strasbourg and back.

Agenda of the hackathon

WARM-UP ONLINE SESSIONS: These will soon be confirmed

HACKATHON: from 8:00 to 21:00 CET 20 June 2025 

PITCHING & AWARD EVENT: 20:00 CET on 20 June 2025.

The above dates and times may be changed, and in this case, the participants will be duly informed by the Hackathon Organisers. 

The Host will be the official timekeeper for this event.

CHALLENGE

Online disinformation has become a critical threat to democratic processes, eroding public trust, polarising public discourse and distorting electoral processes. How can we defend democracy and protect freedom of expression while effectively countering disinformation in the digital age?

Participants are invited to design innovative, scalable solutions that strengthen democratic resilience in line with the values of the European Convention on Human Rights. Solutions may approach the challenge from one or more of the following angles:

• Technical Tools and AI Solutions: Develop technologies that detect and expose disinformation tactics, increase algorithmic transparency, or enable real-time verification and accountability online.
• Policy and Legal Innovations: Propose legal frameworks, regulatory mechanisms, or governance tools that protect free speech while preventing the abuse of democratic freedoms for malicious manipulation.
• Media Literacy and Educational Tools: Create engaging educational resources or platforms, especially for young people, to build critical thinking and media literacy skills.
• Social and Participatory Solutions: Empower communities to counter disinformation through crowdsourced verification, inclusive dialogue, or democratic storytelling campaigns.
• Infrastructure and Visibility Tools: Improve access to trustworthy, pluralistic information through visibility-enhancing mechanisms, open-source datasets, or public dashboards.

All proposals must uphold democratic values and the principles outlined in the New Democratic Pact, ensuring that interventions do not lead to censorship or overreach.

PROOF OF CONCEPT

During the Hackathon, participants must deliver a Proof of Concept (POC) for their proposed solution, demonstrating its potential impact and scalability. The deliverables to be submitted will be provided in the Starter Kit at a later specified date.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS

The guidelines for the submission of deliverables will be provided in the Starter at a later specified date.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Submissions must be provided in English. Submissions in other languages will

not be accepted.

EVALUATION BY JURY
The evaluation criteria will be shared with all participants soon. While the final scoring system is being finalised, you can already expect that proposals will be assessed in alignment with the principles outlined in the New Democratic Pact, including democratic participation, freedom of expression, transparency, inclusion, and institutional integrity. These values will serve as a foundation for evaluating how well each solution contributes to strengthening democracy in the digital age.

The jury members are required to disclose any connection with any of the participants that could influence their judgment and vote. They are required to recuse themselves from evaluating any submission where impartiality may be compromised. The jury members may also voluntarily abstain from participating in the evaluation of any specific submission if they believe their involvement could raise questions of impartiality. All recusal or abstention decisions are documented.

WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT

The winners of the Hackathon will be announced at the end of the event on 21 June 2025.

The first-place team will be awarded €3,000.00, provided by the Council of Europe and delivered by KDKT no later than 3 months after the end of the event.

FAQs
Frequently asked questions can be found on the landing page. If you have any additional inquiries, feel free to reach out to us at info@kreativdistrikt.com with the subject line: “Question – DEMOCRACY’S FIREWALL”.

HACKATHON PROCESS (Information for the Teams)

At a certain point during the warm-up phase, you will be able to download the DEMOCRACY’S FIREWALL Hackathon “Starter Kit” from the dedicated Hackathon platform tab named “Starter Kit Resources”, which is visible to registered participants (hereinafter “Platforms”). The Starter Kit contains useful information that we recommend that you read carefully, such as how to use the Hackathon Platform, how to create or join a team, how to access the resources, how and when to submit your work, the required content for each deliverable, etc. Once available, please read the document carefully to prepare for the Hackathon.

From 2 to 9 June 2025, a virtual “Warm-Up” will take place. During this period, online interactive sessions with a dedicated team of DEMOCRACY’S FIREWALL hackathon experts will be organised to guide you in better understanding the challenge, learning to understand how to work with the dataset of the Hackathon and getting familiar with the practical arrangements. Each Team must appoint a team leader. During the Hackathon, all Teams will be guided and supported by a group of mentors, who will guide you towards shaping and delivering your project. Mentors will be available to all teams throughout the Hackathon. The announcement of winners will take place at 2:00 CET on 21 June 2025.

Teams’ application for participation or involvement in the Hackathon is conditioned on their acceptance of and compliance with these Terms and Conditions.

Participants undertake to comply with the applicable principles, rules and values of the Council, including – but not limited to – those laid down in the Policy on Respect and Dignity in the Council of Europe and the Code of Conduct.

HACKATHON CRITERIA

COMPUTER SCIENCE ORIENTED CRITERIA
Technical Feasibility
Is the proposed solution realistic in relation to the current state of the art? The team must show that models, or techniques to develop them, already exist (e.g. citation to scientific articles, models, etc and how they will be adapted to the current task if necessary).
Are datasets available, and/or is it possible to collect them? The team must show that datasets already exist (online or otherwise) or that they have a clear and realistic plan to collect them.
Openness & Transparency
Are the tools and datasets that will be used in the approach open-source?
Are the authors willing to publish their methods and/or results? If so, is there a clear plan for how this will be achieved?

EMPATHIC AND FEASIBILITY ORIENTED CRITERIA
Problem relevance & clarity: The problem exists, and it’s relevant.
It’s clear that the problem exists, given the evidence, it affects a specific group of individuals, and it’s urgent to address. The teams might wish to conduct some interviews with the target group to understand how the problem and its relevance are defined in a correct way from the perspective of the users (5-10 interviews are enough).
The team shows strategic thinking by addressing the problem at a leverage point.
Human-centered approach: The solution is empathic and user-centered.
Shows an understanding of user expectations, pain points and barriers to adopting the proposed solution (this aspect could be addressed during the previously mentioned interviews with potential users to understand their expectations, barriers, and enablers for the solution proposed).
Ethical considerations and potential risks are acknowledged and taken into account
Strategic implementation: The team has a first approach to an implementation plan.
There is a realistic foresight regarding key milestones and potential challenges that the team may
face during implementation.

LAW AND COMPLIANCE ORIENTED CRITERIA
Human Rights Safeguards
The proposal identifies potential impacts on human rights, specifically freedom of expression (Article 10 ECHR) and data protection (Article 8 ECHR).
Concrete measures to further assess and mitigate such risks are included or foreseen.
The proposed solution avoids overreach (e.g. collateral censorship, surveillance, overcollection of data).
Alignment with Council of Europe values and standards
The solution promotes information integrity through positive measures (e.g. media literacy, user empowerment, diversity and reliability of content).
It aligns with Council of Europe values, respecting legality, proportionality, and user rights.
Where automation or moderation is used, it includes transparency and accountability features.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The Participants in the Hackathon will transfer the intellectual property rights over the created material including, but not limited to, any digital tools and algorithms to the Host at the end of the Hackathon. A separate transfer agreement will be signed between the Participants and the Host. The created material will be in the public domain, but its use will be limited to non-commercial purposes. The Participants will retain their moral rights, i.e. their rights to paternity and integrity.

The developed POC material must not infringe upon any privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights, or any other rights of any person. The material must not breach any law, regulation, rule, code, or other legal obligation. The POC material also must not contain any software viruses or any other computer code, files, or programs designed to interrupt, destroy, or limit the functionality of any computer software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment. The Participants will need to confirm compliance with these rules in the afore-mentioned separate transfer agreement to be signed at the end of the Hackathon.

The Hackathon, the Platforms, and their original content (excluding Content provided by Participants or Mentors), features and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of the Host. Nothing in these Terms constitutes a transfer of any Intellectual Property rights from the Organisers to the Participants.

Participants are permitted to use the Hackathon and the Platforms only as authorised by the Hackathon Organisers.

LIABILITY 

The Host is fully entitled to shorten, extend, modify, or cancel the Hackathon in any manner it deems fit without incurring any liability to the Participants. The Host is fully entitled to disqualify a Participant or a Team that does not abide by these Terms and Conditions or acts in any way deemed inappropriate by the Host.

The Host shall not be responsible, and assume no liability, for (i) lost, misdirected, or late submissions; (ii) electronic transmission errors; (iii) theft, destruction, change of, or unauthorised, access to submissions; (iv) technical problems, malfunctions or errors in the operation of any hardware or software which is necessary for the transmission of submissions or for the procedure of the Hackathon, including computer viruses and bugs, or for manipulations, unauthorised access, scams, overload of the Internet or a website or any combinations of these, nor other causes not subject to the inspection by the Host. In case any of the above should occur, the Host retain the right, in their sole discretion, to adjust, change, postpone or cancel the Hackathon in any manner they deem fit, or to take any other action they deem appropriate, including, without limitation, disqualifying any Participant who wrongfully causes any of the above to occur. The Host reserves all rights to recover damages and to take any resources that may be available to it against any such Participant.

Participants who are employees of a corporation, government agency, or academic institution are responsible for ensuring that their participation complies with any policies their respective corporation, agency, or institution may have regarding participation in events such as the Hackathon. If the Host has reason to believe that a Participant has violated any such internal policies, the Host reserves the right to prohibit the Participant from participating in the Hackathon. The Host assumes no liability and is not responsible for any disputes arising between a Participant and his/her employer concerning participation in the Hackathon. 

DISPUTE SETTLEMENT

Any dispute regarding this Hackathon shall – failing a friendly settlement – be submitted to arbitration in compliance with the Rule 481 of 27 February 1976, laying down the arbitration procedure for disputes between the Council and private persons concerning goods provided, services rendered or purchases of immovable property on behalf of the Council. 

PRIVACY
When participating in this Hackathon, each Participant accepts and agrees to the Privacy Notice of the Host and the Facilitator Privacy Notice accessible HERE.

GENERAL
The Hackathon Organisers reserve the right to verify the validity of submissions, as well as their compliance with these Terms and Conditions, and to disqualify any Participant who interferes in any way with the entry process or who submits an entry that is not by these Terms and Conditions. The Hackathon Host reserves the right to cancel the Hackathon and/or cancel or amend the awards if it deems, in its sole discretion, that there is an insufficient number of participants. The Hackathon Organisers’ decision in relation to any and all aspects of the Hackathon is final and binding on every Participant and there shall be no appeal or review process for any such decision.

The Hackathon Organisers are not responsible for (i) any problems or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or lines, computer or online systems, servers, providers, computer equipment, software, or any technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or any website, delay or error in postal service, or any combination thereof; (ii) any incorrect or inaccurate information caused by any equipment or programming associated with, or used in this Hackathon, or any technical error, including any omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, mobile or satellite network failure, theft, destruction, unauthorised access or alteration of entries, or any combination thereof. The Hackathon Organisers assume no liability and are not responsible for any injury or damage to a Participant’s or any other person’s electronic device resulting from participation in the Hackathon or downloading any data as part thereof. In the event of war, terrorism, economic sanctions, riots, fires, natural disaster, or any other state of emergency or force majeure, the Hackathon Organisers reserve the right to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Hackathon or take any other action it deems fit concerning the Hackathon without any liability. 

VISIBILITY

Official photos and video recordings will be taken during the event and may be used on the Internet, social networks and other forms of public communication of the Council of Europe. If you do not wish to be photographed and/or recorded, please inform the Organisers accordingly before or during the event, in any case, before any such material is released.

INDEMNIFICATION

As a condition of participation in this Hackathon, and/or access to and use of Host’s platforms and data, Participants agree to indemnify the Host, its subcontractors, successors and assigns for all damages, costs, expenses and other liabilities, including but not limited to legal fees and expenses, relating to any claim arising out of related to participation to the Hackathon and access to and use of the Platforms, or Participant’s breach of these Terms and Conditions, as well as any applicable law or the rights of another person or party.

NODISCLOSURE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AGREEMENT

The Participant agrees to hold in confidence and not disclose any confidential information obtained from the Hackathon Organisers during the Hackathon. Confidential information includes, but is not limited to, any personal information, financial information, and technical data. The Participant agrees to use the confidential information solely to participate in the Hackathon. The Participant shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that confidential information is not disclosed or distributed to any third party without the prior written consent of the Host.

CHANGE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Hackathon Organisers reserve the right to change these Terms and Conditions and to add and/or remove any provisions from these Terms and Conditions at any time (including before and during the Hackathon), for any reason and in any manner they deem fit.

CANCELATION

The provisions of the Terms and Conditions, which by their nature should remain in force in case of termination, include, but are not limited to, intellectual property rights provision, indemnity, limitations of liability and Non-Disclosure Agreement.

The Organisers shall not be liable to Participants or any third party for any claims or damages arising from any cancellation or suspension or any other actions taken in connection therewith.